Socket connection for radio tubes



April 13, 1948. c, SUNDELL I 2,439,589

' SOCKET CONNECTION FOR RADIO TUBES Filed Sept. 14, 1945 FIG. 2.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. '13, 1948 ,a a se t socmrr CONNECTION FQB RADIO. TUBES V V H plfl fi s llilflell, I tl aca N. 1 Application September 14, leeaserial v 502,329

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Thisinvention relates radio" tubes, and more particularly to such a device in which an electrical? connection means ptli'er'than prongs and spring metal clips is provi$dd-- .H-u) i v Spring metal clips, movablerin suitableiopenings insocketsof electrical connections are comman but they and the sockets havejinherent defects. fTheclipsa're subject tobreakage during insertion-anwwithdrawal of the prongs, are apt A, toibecomeworn and result in poorelectrical con- 'ductors,due"to dxidation'of the worn surfaces, and may become rusted and cause adhesion of the prongs" othe clips,"" The sockets, housing suchz' clips," must, rof, necessity, have openings to L thesurface'for insertion" of't'he prongs, and these envelope; and" this entails'an added expense in ,1

Another important object is to provide asqcket' of; this kind; having no permanent openings" to the surface thereofifrom the electrical conductingmetalwithinthe socket. 1 {Still,another"important object is ,to provide a socket of the class described-{requiring no associatedlbase added to theitube envelope. t

In addition, an important object is to provide sucha" socket whichewillifunctionas a shock absorber, even'wh'en'the glass envelopeitself com- 'prises ,t l e tubeiibase andfthis 'basecontacts the t. .i V dimmer bject i t provi e or t r aceme it' f on f t e ind v dual pin orlnron con QR E P ILQ he wic et l priene her, n te d'oi dissz din hthe entir eec e and such r placement ma b mad Wi hout di t rb g any of e ther cs iridue llmn. r rone ecnn ct ons o the socketfi ill .enetherebieeti tenr id such'a socket, w h w re ell? th edu n pf t l n th he interie lleefls so that nductance will be cut down, an important advantagedn some 'tx zeeeireeiqen en- I e et erm this e qv dea ra t 599.3% wh h iunetion n vpe t as a eleener or 1? 11 5 555 pins as the nserte nt the ,t .w rem due gr a e m de n mx rl the 1 22 em v d the re .t nsertmgm ongs.

A twe ts. dedvanteses Quins invention li'i tllhaepee em; curin pmhe lmllqw to soc et, connections for tron diseherge ev ce; s lfillfii exdi itube, n

d ewin n the fi ur xeeet Jiiee Figure 1 is a sideglevatipn gra ermqeeeeeket a Figu 21 e rertieelsee ien therew- E ewt 3 is e e p e the a sa Figure 4 e e enge wen nemlelvefied viduel 12in e elset t iqr ix e e .ee eeleteswl e socket. I v t t Fi re? is ese sneet ve viemt zasn wie n .F e te l fi reve iej levet e me ifis fienei th me; e i e eee eto ifi e ur h a vertica e etiqn at th seek-vet of F ure? 21?. c leia Plan he? tlieeeeke ,ei

6 and 7. V, c t Fi re x a ragmen ed! le tien e ii aemep uncharged Portion Y l "t e take. qifi lififi I and}. VH1 v.

n gation i f ave anci nts? fe fml' em Q 7 1. r, 'm ler. reference characters designate"corresponding parts hru t t VSEVQFIWWS, let erema fldes t thee e d ube in tcwll le, t lett B he n ivi e vsee w. r ef? w me fie'd te m o he eek r-t evade. .D h ir d id a etst ereo E theenvel pe p an :ele

F the conductor pin or prong t herepf.

h vel c e A i mad uncf a suit b number of individual sockets B carried by a support H] which is preferably a flat plate of; suitable dielectric material, with uppe face, and lower or bottom face l2, and provided with a plurality e pa -a a t erfere i ns a Qne 01 ea h socket B, preferably arrangedin a circle. The

, support III-may havesuitable oppjosite ears l4 provided with perforations ld, for fasteners for attaching the support In to a radio'jinstrument or the like.

Each individual socketB comprises an open mouthed body' q tiqn, receptacle, or housing 20, a closure 2| for the mouth, electrical currentq n uctin materi v22in the housin a lead" or terminal 23 extending from the hQusing'kand means 24 ;and 25 for securing the housing 2.0 t0 t e Su po I t The housinglp is, preferably, cylindrical, comnrisin atube, cldsed by at butt-01m wallet), and its ver i a walls?! te minatin in an up .n..th ew na whe e n In t was 9f 3 weirdly-opening mouth 32. This housing is of any suitable electric-current conducting metal or metals, particularly metals or alloys not af-' fected by metallic merc Inserted into the mouth 32 is the closure 2| which may be a plug or stopper 33, but this plug 33 is more than a mere closure. It should be of soft, springy, compressible material, having dielectric properties. I It must be a material which will permit a pin F to be readily inserted into and thru it but, when the pin is removed, the perforation, made by the pin, will close as the pin is being withdrawn. Soft rubber is preferred for the plug. The height of the plug is such that,-

when the plug is inserted into the mouth 32, the upper portion 34 thereof will project upwardly from the housing 20, the lower portion 35 will extend into the housing 20, and the distance from the upper face 36 to the lower face 31 of the plug is less than the length of the pin F, measured from where it projects from the envelope E to its free end, as shown in Figure 2. Extending downwardly into the portion 34 from substantially the axial center of the plug 33 may be a centering depression 38, for guiding the insertion of a pin F into the plug.

In order to secure the plug 33 to the housing 2|], the upper end (or mouth portion) of the latter may be crimped, as at'39, to extend slightly into the side walls of the portion 34.

The electric-current conducting material 22 within the housing may be any suitable mass having good electric current-conducting properties, such as metallic mercury, just so that a portion of the pin F is at all times in contact with the material 22. Ofcourse, the height or volume of this material must 'be such that, at all times and in all positions of the socket A or sockets B, the material and inserted pin F will be in electric contact.

A suitable lead or terminal 23 is secured to the exterior of the housing 20, to project outwardly therefrom, as in Figures 1-3, and this lead 23 may be a lug integral with a ring, which forms the securing means 24. To the lead 23 may be soldered or otherwise secureda conductor, as is well known in the art.

This ring or means 24 not only supports the lug 23 but it also provides a shoulder, when suitably secured to the housing 20, as by friction, solder or the like, in contact with the lower face |2 of the support In, to prevent or resist upward movement of the housing 20 thru the support In, when a pin F is being withdrawn from the socket B. This ring and lug are, preferably, integral and of brass.

The means 25 may be a ring encircling and suitably secured to the upper end of the housing It below the crimped portion 39, and providing a shoulder in contact with the upper face ll of the support, to prevent the housing 20 from droppingout of the support Ill. Preferably, this ring clasps the housing 20 in the region of the lower end 31 of the plug 33 and aids in retaining the plug in place.

As to the modified form C of the socket as a whole, the support thereof is, preferably, similar in every respect to the support It, and similar reference characters are employed in designating similar parts of both supports.

However, while the individual sockets D of the form C have many of the characteristics of the sockets B, it will be noted in-Figures 6 to 9 that there are mbdifications- The modified1form, however,'comprises a housing, a' receptacle or encased a housing, body portion or receptacle 40, with bot- 7 tom wall 46 and vertical side wall 41 terminating in an upwardly opening mouth 48, is provided, the upper end of the housing 40 has exterior screw threads 49 and suitable spaced apart vertical slots 50 extending from its upper edge 5| to permit the upper portion of the receptacle 40 to be initially flared out as shown in Figure 9.

Inserted into the mouth 48 is the closure 4| of suitable dielectric material, having the characteristics of the closure 2|, and similar reference characters are employed for both closures 2| and 4|. It will be noted, however, that the closure 4| may have downwardly-sloping walls, since it is preferred to provide a forced fit of this closure 4| with the housing 40. The closure 4| extends, as does the closure 2|, upwardly beyond the mouth 48, as in Figure '7. a a

The electric current conducting material 421s, preferably, similar to the material 22 and .its height or volume. should be such that, despite various positions of the sockets C and D, the material 42 will provide an e-lectric'current cone ductor betweenthe pin F and-housing 40.

In the modified form D there is shown, by. way of example, a terminal or lead 43 suitably secured to the bottom wall 46 of the housing 40, as by soldering. i v .T 1

The means 44 and 45 for securing the housing 40 to the support I may be a pair of nuts 52 and 53 having screw threads for cooperation with the screw threads 49. The nut 52 is shownpositioned in contact with the lower or. under'face l2 of' the support I0, and the othernut -5|,lin contactwith the upper face ll of the support H]. Since the upper end of the housing 4|! is initially flared out as shown in Figure 9, the nut' 5|, when screwed into place, acts .to compress'this .end;of the wall of the housing 40 about the; closure or plug. l

Th'e envelope'E of the electron discharge device, is shown as of glass with the glass base 55 of the device integral with the envelopefand provided with an enlarged support 56 for a metallic pin F extending downwardly and outwardly of the base .55. The pin F is, of course, pointed, as

In use, when a suitable number'of individual sockets B arearranged and attached to a support ID," to form a socket A, or a suitable number of individual sockets D are arranged and attached to a support Hi to form a socket C, ashas'been described, electron-discharge devices may be removablyf attached to either socket A orC by inserting the pins F'thereof into either the sockets B or D, as in Figures 2 and '7, whereupon, with suitable conductors'attached to the leads or terminals 23 or 43, asthe case may be, and a source of electric current provided, there will be a flow of electric current thru the individual sockets and electron discharge devices. r e

The pins F will readily penetrate both the plugs 21' and 4| and the material z2 and 4255mm as readily, the pinsF may be'withdr'awn and asthey are withdrawn, the perforationsfmade in the of the material 22 or 42 will be spilled or lost. The plugs 2| and 4| will wipe the pins F of dust, dirt, rosin, oil or the like, as they are inserted and will wipe the pins F of material 22 or 42, as they are being withdrawn, yet the plugs will securely grip and retain the pins and parts attached to and associated therewith.

As seen in Figures 2 and 7, the glass base 55 rests directly upon the plugs 2| and 4| and is cushioned by these plugs so that, despite the economy of using devices with integral, glass bases and better functioning of such devices, devoid of separate, attached bases, the plugs function as closures, means for cleaning the pins F and cushions for the devices.

The form of invention disclosed in Figures 6 to 9 inclusive is particularly well adaptedfor use when it is desirable to provide a socket connection which may be readily dismembered for the replacement of parts, such as the closure 4| or for adding or substituting current conducting material 42.

Various changes may be made to the forms of the invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the following claim.

What is claimed is:

In an electrical system including an electron discharge device of the type having a frangible base and a plurality of spaced-apart, substantially parallel, electric current-conducting pins extending from the base outwardly of the electron discharge device, a tubular housing of electric current-conducting material for each pin and defining a chamber having a mouth; a stopper of resilient, dielectric material for each housing, inserted into the mouth thereof and in intimate contact with the inner surface of the tubular wall of the housing at only the mouth end thereof, each stopper projecting outwardly of the chamber in which it is inserted and having an outer face with a portion of said base, closely adjacent a pin, cushioned and resting upon said face and the adjacent pin extending through and in intimate contact with the stopper and projecting, from said stopper, into said chamber, said resilient material being characterized by immediately closing any openings, in said stoppers made by said pins, upon withdrawal of said pins; and a volume of fluent electric current-conducting material in each of said housings, sufficient in volume to contact the pin therein in any position in which the housing may be disposed.

CARL H. SUNDELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 671,338 Halford Apr. 2, 1901 768,175 Fritchle Aug. 23, 1904 1,792,973 FrenZ Feb. 17, 1931 2,200,332 Henning May 14, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,311 Great Britain r. 1900 32,616 France Sept. 13, 1927 152,371 Switzerland Apr 16, 1932 

